Inner-tube tester



March 21, 1939. T. H. BOLTE 2,151,497

INNER-TUBE TESTER Filed Sept. 8, 1958 2 Shepcs-Sheet 1 @mdw, TBOZZ l5 19 ii mi; w 32? March 21, 1939. T BQLTE INNER-TUBE TESTER 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1958 I a In I II I.

25 -2, 1m kw? vzzaw Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

My invention provides an extremely simple and highly efiicient device for testing tire inner tubes or punctures or leakage and, generally stated, consists of the novel devices, combination of devices and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

It has been the common practice to test these rubber inner tubes by submerging the same in lar e water tanks. My invention provides for testing the inner tubes for leakage by the use of a very small pan or tank and novel means for holding the inner tube and for moving the same partly into and out of the water of the tank and for supporting the inner tube for rotation.

The commercial form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing the complete device;

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing the tire reel or holder removed from its support;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation but showing the water tank in section;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The water tank 6 is a comparatively small preferably sheet metal receptacle, large enough to receive in the water therein contained, the submerged lower portion of a tire inner tube 1 supported by the device. The supporting device involves a cage-like reel 8 preferably made of wire, the hoops of which are cross-connected by bars 9, the latter being connected by spokes ID to an axially located sleeve II. The sleeve II is adapted to be telescoped on to and rotated upon a spindle l2, one end of which is rigidly secured to the free end of an arm I3, the opposite end of which is pivoted to one end of the tank 6 by a cross rod I4.

A bar-like supporting leg I5 is pivoted at one 0 end to the projecting end of the spindle l2 and its free end is offset at Hi to form a shoulder that is engageable with a notched flange I! on one end of one side of the tank 6. The free end of the leg [5 is, therefore, offset at l8 so that it is at the outer side of the tank, and when the holding mechanism is raised, as shown in Fig. 1, it is engageable with a stop shown as afforded by a projecting screw 20, or the like, applied on that side of the tank at which the arm 13 is located. In this Way the tube supporting reel is adapted to be held either in its uppermost position with the tube out of the water, or in a lowered position as shown in Fig. ,3 where the lower portion of the tube will be submerged in the water of the tank 6.

The reel described will hold in position inner tubes of various diameters, to wit, those that are of a size to lit the reel as Well as those that are of much greater diameter such, for example, those shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. The inner 1r tube being inflated with air will tend to rise in the Water as far as permitted by the reel. Tubes that are of much greater diameter than the reel and, hence, do not closely fit the same, might tend to run off of the reel at the submerged por- 15 tion; and to prevent this I provide a pair of laterally spaced guide arms 2| that are pivoted to one end of the tank, as shown, by means of nutequipped screws 22 and interposed coil springs 23, which latter hold and cause the arms to be frictionally held in set positions. These guide arms 21 will be adjusted close to the sides of the large size tubes and will keep the same on the reel as the reel is rotated with the tube. The upward pressure of the tube against the reel will cause 25 the tube to travel with the reel.

When the reel is raised, as shown in Fig. 1, to a position above thetank, it may be readily re-. moved with the tube, and when the tube is braced around the reel, the reel can be readily telescoped on to the spindle l2 and then properly lowered for the testing of the tube.

In actual practice the device, the preferred form of which is illustrated, has been found serviceable and very convenient for the rapid handling and testing of inflated inner tubes. It will be understood, however, that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the spirit of the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

It will be noted that the guide arms M are pivoted so that they can be either downward as shown by full lines in Fig. 3 or can be turned upwardly as shown by dotted lines in that same view, thus being able to adapt themselves to tubes of varying and diiierent diameters.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the kind described, a liquid containing tank, an arm pivoted to one end of the tank and at its free end carrying a laterally projecting spindle, a leg pivotally connected to the free end of said arm and engageable with the tank to hold said arm at different elevations, and a tube supporting reel rotatively mounted onsaid spindle.

2. In a device of the kind described, a liquidcontaining tank, an arm pivoted to one end of the tank and at its free end carrying a laterally projecting spindle, a leg pivotally connected to the free end of said arm and engageable with the tank to hold said arm at difierent elevations, and a tube supporting reel rotatively mounted on said spindle and telescopically removable from said spindle.

3. In a device of the kind described, "a liquidcontaining tank, an arm pivoted to one end of the tank and at its free end carrying a laterally projecting spindle, a leg pivotally connected to the free end of said arm and engageable with the tank to hold said arm at different elevations, and a tube supporting reel rotatively mounted on said spindle and telescopically removable from said spindle when said reel is raised to an extreme position.

4. In a device of the kind described, a liquidcontaining tank, an arm pivoted to one end of the tank and at its free end carrying a laterally projecting spindle, a leg pivotally connected to the free end of said arm and engageable with the tank to hold said arm at difierent elevations, and a tube supporting reel rotatively mounted on said spindle, and a pair of guide arms pivotally attached to that end of the tank that is opposite to the pivotal connection between said arm and. tank, and extended to points on opposite sides of said reel. I 5. The structure defined in claim 4 in Which said guide arms are frictionally pivoted to said tank by nut-equipped screws and interposed springs.

6. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said reel is made up of laterally spaced hoops, and axial sleeve cross bars connecting said hoops and spokes connecting said cross bars to said sleeve.

7. In a device of the kind described, a liquidcontaining tank, an arm pivoted to one end of the tank and at its free end carrying a laterally projecting spindle, a leg pivotally connected to the free end of said arm and engagable with the tank to hold said arm at different elevations, and a tube supporting reel rotatively mounted on said spindle and telescopically removable from said spindle, and a pair of guide arms pivotally attached to that end of the tank that is opposite to the pivotal connection between said arm and tank, and extended to points on opposite sides of said reel.

8. In a device of the kind described, a liquidcontaining tank, an arm pivoted to one end of said tank and extended only at one side of the tank and at its free end carrying a laterally projecting spindle, means for supporting said arm at different elevations, and a tube supporting reel rotatively mounted on said spindle.

9. In a device of the kind described, a liquidcontaining tank, an arm pivoted to one end of said tank and extended only at one side of the tank and at its free end carrying a laterally projecting spindle, means for supporting said arm at different elevations, and a tube supporting reel rotatively mounted on said spindle and telescopically removable from said spindle.

10. In a device of the kind described, a liquidcontaining tank, an arm pivoted to one end of said tank and extended only at one side of the tank and at its free end carrying a laterally projecting spindle, means for supporting said arm at different elevations, and a tube supporting reel rotatively mounted on said spindle and telescopically removable from said spindle, when and. only when said arm is raised to carry said reel above the rim of said tank.

THEODORE H. BOLTE. 

